I think cycling is a great way to train legs. Other than cycling you can also try squats and lunges. You can make a time table for whole week, that on which day you will perform which workout, that will be more enjoyable.

muchidna wrote:just wondering, is cycling a good leg workout for bodybuilding?

i have been cycling atleast every 2nd day on max resistance+ top gear, approximately 40 mins / 12 km trip (with a walking period), heart rate goes up a little, but i'm not out of breath.

what do you guys think? im not good at squats/deadlifts (safely), i have a short achilles tendon which kinda doesnt let my knees go past my feet, so other wise i have to use machines

I think it can be useful, different terrain and intensities will obviously be working towards different results. In terms of adding bulk and size to the legs you would be wanting to train at a high intensity over a relatively short distance. Hill reps are great as are flat sprints ~ you only have to look at the leg size of track cyclists to confirm that this type of training is effective

Longer rides add in the benefit of counting towards cardio, but could also somewhat negate the effects of the harder/shorter training. I always found that my legs got really nicely conditioned from my longer rides of 100+km ~ fantastic for adding vascularity too as the veins and capillaries will rise to the surface in an attempt to optimally deliver blood to the working muscles.

I cycle for cardio, which just uses my leg muscles - not the ripping muscle tissue for building it up by repairing it for bodybuilding. I guess to me, it is a more bodyusing. Which is good for utilizing the fat in the tissue around the leg muscle - thus getting ripped and vascularity.

What is wrong with machines? Machines are great tools to build leg muscles when used properly. Especially if you have a physical issue that your body needs to have addressed when working out.

I personally do not allow my knees to go over my ankles when working the heavy weights. I use the light weights to stretch the ligaments over my knees and around my ankles by using full range of motion (full ROM), but then when going heavy, I only use the short ROM that makes me use the belly of the muscle and not so much the ligaments - and machines can help with this with all their safety latches and stops.